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Burgoyne’s Saratoga Campaign of 1777: From Fort Ticonderoga to Bemis Heights

September 12, 2011 by

Wednesday, September 12 (7:30PM) to Saturday, September 15, 2012  (5:00pm)
Led by Douglas Cubbison and Bruce Venter
Based in Lake George, NY
Tour Registration Fee: $495.00

During the summer and fall of 1777 one of the great military campaigns of world history took place in the dense forests and rolling fields of upstate New York. British Lt. Gen. John “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne led a combined force of some 9,000 British Redcoats, German hirelings, vengeful Tories and blood-thirsty Indians. This army descended from Canada, aiming to cut off the American middle colonies from their New England neighbors.

Burgoyne’s invasion was part of a three-pronged strategic plan to break the back of the rebellion. His army marched directly south through a near-impenetrable wilderness, attempting to reach its final objective: Albany. But American fortunes changed decisively on the west bank of the Hudson River near Saratoga. The patriot army, initially led by Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler, but now commanded by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, and ably led on the battlefield by Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold and Col. Daniel Morgan, stopped Burgoyne’s campaign in its tracks. The surrender of Burgoyne’s army in October 1777 was more important to the Rebel cause than any other event during the American Revolution. The two climatic battles at Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights led to a French alliance the following year, effectively insuring an American triumph over the forces of Lt Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown.

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Filed Under: 2012 Tour Archives, Tour Archives

Remembering Dave Hinze

August 22, 2011 by

Bruce Venter

We must take time to remember our good friend and business partner, Dave Hinze who left us suddenly one year ago on August 18, 2010.

But this one year anniversary is not the only day that I think of Dave. On our kitchen countertop, we have a 3×4 framed picture of Dave and me doing the Swamp Fox tour in South Carolina in 2009. The tour was Dave’s brainchild (he was crazy about Francis Marion) and so far it’s been the most successful tour of either Stars & Stripes Events or America’s History. The picture shows me lecturing to our tour group about the British Navy’s 1776 attack on Charleston’s Fort Moultrie where Marion was stationed as an officer long before his famous career as a partisan. I’m pointing with my left arm extended out to the harbor where the Royal Navy was firing round shot at the fort. Dave, with his head down looking at a map, is mimicking me by also pointing with his left arm extended out to the Charleston harbor. It was so characteristic of Dave, making sure everyone understood what was going on.

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Leatherstocking Country: A Successful Combination of America’s History with Literature

August 15, 2011 by

Bruce Venter

Our July tour entitled Leatherstocking Tales: The Real Historic Sites of James Fenimore Cooper’s Novels proved to be a good bet as we combined familiar titles (and some not so familiar) from American literature with the historic sites that influenced the famous American author. I wasn’t sure how this concept would play when I first conceived it sometime last year, but finding the right tour leader made all the difference. Dr. Wayne Franklin, professor of English and department head at the University of Connecticut proved to be “the man” when it comes to Cooper expertise. Wayne did a fantastic job, demonstrating not only a knowledge of Cooper’s writings but also being familiar with the historical background of 18th and 19th century sites and personalities which influenced Cooper. Wayne has Albany, NY roots as does your humble blogger, so we were able to reminisce about the city’s rich, colorful political history which we shared in common. We had a great, mixed group of participants who came because of their interest in Cooper as well as American history. As always, there were a number of repeat customers along with some new faces. Wayne also brought along his lovely wife, Suzanne who provided much enjoyable conversation. It was great to have my cousin, Ann O’Brien Teta with us. One of America’s History’s tour leaders, Bill Welsch also joined the tour.

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Fredericksburg: Not Just the Sunken Road

July 22, 2011 by

Bruce Venter

To paraphrase a famous depiction used to describe Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, I would have to say that our Fredericksburg tour leader, Frank O’Reilly was simply “superb.” I knew there was more to the battle of Fredericksburg than just the maniacal assaults at the Sunken Road. But Frank’s incredible expertise brought many other aspects of this campaign to a new, higher level of comprehension for me and our tour participants. Frank’s understanding of the campaign’s political, logistical, cartographic, and command and control problems made this tour unforgettable. He also included a good dose of personal valor stories, descriptions of the idiosyncratic personalities of various leaders on both sides and leadership questions for us to consider on different parts of the field. As Tom Lannon from Phoenix, Arizona put it, “From my point of view as a tour attendee three days with Frank O’Reilly on the Fredericksburg battlefield was a real treat. The guy has an amazing amount of knowledge about the history there and did an outstanding job of conveying what happened and why. I could not have asked for more. And all the things you did to make it comfortable with the accommodations, the lunches, snacks and transportation were just first rate. Thanks for everything and I am sure I will see you on another tour in the future.”

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Washington’s Winter Surprise: The Battle of Trenton in Depth – April 28, 2011

January 10, 2011 by

Thursday, April 28 (8:00am-5:00pm)
Leaving from the Dolce Hotel, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Led by Bill Welsch and Bruce Venter
Registration Fee: $145.00 

Less than an hour from Valley Forge was the scene of George Washington’s stunning victory over the British army’s garrison of feared Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey. It was here that a ragged, sleet-soaked Continental army crossed the ice-packed Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to attack unprepared German hirelings under Colonel Johann Rall. Washington’s complete victory at Trenton is considered by some historians to be a more significant turning point in the Revolutionary War than even Saratoga. Washington’s steadfast determination to lead his troops to victory stabilized sagging Patriot morale at a time when the American cause was at its nadir.

This full-day tour will cover the battle of Trenton in-depth. Our first stop will be the Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey. The Visitors Center houses the famous Swan Historical Foundation Collection of nearly 900 Revolutionary War era items, including muskets, side arms, swords, clothing, maps, etc. We have invited Mr. Harry Kels Swan, who frequently visits his collection, to be at the Visitors Center for our tour. Our next stop will be the Johnson Ferry House and the site where Washington’s troops actually crossed the river and marched up a road bed that is still visible today. We will also cross the river (by bridge, not boat) to see Pennsylvania’s display of Durham boats. Our tour will include a sit-down lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we will visit the Trenton Battle Monument and tour the Old Barracks in downtown Trenton. The Old Barracks, built by the British during the French and Indian War, where Rall housed some of his Hessians, has been fully restored and includes a gallery of Colonial and Revolutionary War artifacts and militaria. Then we’re off to Five Mile Run where British Major General Charles Lord Cornwallis launched his counterattack against Washington on January 2, 1777. Next we will visit the Assunpink Creek site that was important to both battles of Trenton. We’ll see the Douglas House where Washington met with his generals during the Trenton actions. We’ll finish the day at the site marking the start of the Continentals’ march to Princeton and complete the story of these two famous battles.

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Blackbeard and the Pirates of the Chesapeake – June 1-4, 2011

January 9, 2011 by

Wednesday, June 1 (7:30 PM) thru Saturday, June 4 (5 PM)
Headquartered in Chesapeake, VA and Beaufort, NC
Led by John V. Quarstein
Registration Fee: $619.00 (double occupancy) – $645.00 (single occupancy)

Unquestionably, Edward Teach, better known as “Blackbeard” was one of the most notorious pirates who ever sailed the Seven Seas. Myriad legends surround the Blackbeard mystique, but the real story of this 18th century scoundrel is even more riveting. Teach and others roamed the Atlantic coast during the “Golden Age of Piracy” from 1680 to 1720. Our Blackbeard and the Pirates of the Chesapeake tour will explore the adventures of Teach and many of his other bloodthirsty comrades in crime.

Our first day will take us from the Hampton Roads area to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The ride along the Outer Banks will provide a great venue for our historian, John Quarstein to regale us with salty pirate yarns as well fill us in on the area’s little known Civil War history. He’ll also develop the background of colonial piracy from its inception near Jamestown, Virginia to the Anglo-Dutch Naval Wars of the mid-17th century and then to the 18th century swashbuckling activities of Blackbeard and his partner in crime, Major Stede Bonnet. We’ll cross on a ferry to Ocracoke Island where we’ll have lunch. While on the island we’ll visit Teach’s Hole’s, Blackbeard’s favorite anchorage where his pirates hid awaiting their water-borne prey. It was off Teach’s Hole that British Lt. Robert Maynard attacked and defeated the infamous pirate, bringing Blackbeard’s head back to Hampton. We’ll also visit Springer’s Point, also known as “Blackbeard’s Plantation” and reputed to be the pirate’s favorite haunt. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2011 Tour Archives, Tour Archives Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fredericksburg: A Comprehensive Walking Tour – June 22-25, 2011

January 8, 2011 by

Wednesday, June 22 (7:30 PM) thru Saturday, June 25 (5 PM)
Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA
Led by Frank O’Reilly
Registration Fee: $425.00 

Pushed by President Abraham Lincoln to win a decisive victory for the Union, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside attempted to cross the Rappahannock River in December 1862 to please his commander-in-chief. Burnside successfully forced a crossing, but the result was a major Federal debacle at Fredericksburg. Our comprehensive tour of the Fredericksburg campaign will be conducted by the nationally recognized expert on the battle, Frank O’Reilly.

We will stop at all the major sites associated with the battle and some places that perhaps you have not seen. We’ll get to understand this campaign as a far more complex operation than just a frontal assault by Blue-coated infantrymen on the entrenched positions of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia which stretched eight miles along ridges west of Fredericksburg. Our tour will include a stop at Chatham, a magnificent plantation home used by Union Maj. Gen. Edwin “Bull” Sumner as his headquarters and later as a field hospital. We’ll walk thru part of the old town where Confederate Brig. Gen. William Barksdale’s sharpshooters held off Union troops for twelve hours as they attempted to pontoon the river. Of course, we’ll follow the heroic charge of the Irish Brigade on the stone-lined Sunken Road below Marye’s Heights which was held by units under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet. [Read more…]

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Leatherstocking Tales – July 6-9, 2011

January 7, 2011 by

Wednesday, July 6 (7:30 PM) thru Saturday, July 9 (5 PM)
Headquartered in Albany, NY
Led by Wayne Franklin and Bruce Venter

We all remember the novels of James Fenimore Cooper from our youth either through movie versions, the “Classic” comic books series or by actually reading them in English class.

Cooper was a popular and successful writer in his own time in part because he described many actual historical places in his books. These sites were readily identified by early 19th century readers because they had learned about these same places in school. Cooper was able to vividly describe these historical sites because he had actually visited them himself. Whether it was sitting on a porch in Westchester County, sailing upon the crystal blue waters of Lake George or tramping through the woods near his boyhood home in Cooperstown, he was able to translate what he observed into stirring tales of early America.

Our tour will explore the real historic and geographic sites portrayed in several Cooper novels. It will give us a better understanding of the author’s insight into America’s frontier legacy. Explaining how the actual places and events were reflected in the New Yorker’s fiction is one of our goals. While we will concentrate on three popular novels, The Spy, The Last of the Mohicans and The Deerslayer, there will be plenty of references to places associated with lesser known works like Satanstoe and The Pioneers.

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Pontiac’s Rebellion – August 24-27, 2011

January 5, 2011 by

Wednesday, August 24 (7:30 PM) thru Saturday, August 27 (9 PM)
Headquartered in Cranberry Township, PA
Led by Douglas Cubbison, Walter Powell, and Bruce Venter
Registration Fee: $775.00 (double occupancy) – $795.00 (single occupancy) 

An often overlooked event of the colonial period is Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763. Faced with English settlers streaming across the Appalachian Mountains following the French and Indian War, various tribes, loosely led by the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, rose up to save their native lands. Bloodshed was rampant on the Ohio and Pennsylvania frontiers as British outposts fell like dominos. Likewise, Great Britain’s coffers were drained as the cost of troops, sent to quell the rebellion, added to an already staggering national debt from the last war with France. One of Britain’s solutions, the Proclamation of 1763 was a vain attempt to keep colonists east of the mountains; it failed and quickly became one of several causes of the American Revolution. Our historians will discuss the entire scope of Pontiac’s Rebellion, including incidents and battles we will not see on this tour.

On our first day we will visit the reconstructed Fort Ligonier. The original fort was built in 1758 by Maj. Gen James Forbes during his campaign to capture Fort Duquesne (later renamed Fort Pitt.) Fort Ligonier was the jump off site for Col. Henry Bouquet’s expedition to relieve Fort Pitt during Pontiac’s Rebellion. The reconstructed site is an extraordinary example of 18th century fortifications. Its museum displays a set of pistols owned by Lafayette and given to George Washington. Our lead historian, Doug Cubbison, a former artillery officer will provide an in-depth explanation of the fort’s magnificent reproduction of a British artillery train. After lunch at a historic restaurant in Ligonier, we will visit the Bushy Run Battlefield for an extensive walking tour of Bouquet’s Highlanders’ great victory over some 400 Delaware, Mingo, Shawnee and Huron tribesmen. The 200+ acre battlefield sits pristinely against a rural landscape. [Read more…]

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“The Regulars are Coming…” – September 14-17, 2011

January 4, 2011 by

Boston, Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill
Wednesday, September 14 (7:30 PM) thru Saturday, September 17 (5 PM)
Headquartered in Billerica, MA
Led by William Welsch and Bruce Venter
Registration Fee: $425.00 

The Regulars are ComingListen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,–
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

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